Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains & other cheap chains

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yostumpy
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Joined: 29 Oct 2010, 6:56pm

Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by yostumpy »

I had some when they were on special somewhere, terrible. Was plagued with stiff links, ended up looking like a snakes and ladders board. So I swapped it for the second one, and within a month, same thing. So I then bought some chains from Spa, on special , Taya I think, fitted them on 2 bikes, and both broke repeatedly. I now run KMC x9 93, super long lasting, and after 6,000km still looks like new, but replaced it anyway.
mercalia
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Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

yostumpy wrote:I had some when they were on special somewhere, terrible. Was plagued with stiff links, ended up looking like a snakes and ladders board. So I swapped it for the second one, and within a month, same thing. So I then bought some chains from Spa, on special , Taya I think, fitted them on 2 bikes, and both broke repeatedly. I now run KMC x9 93, super long lasting, and after 6,000km still looks like new, but replaced it anyway.


I think you need to say a) how much the KMC one cost and b) what type of riding you do. I understand that even Shimano had a time when a batch of its chains had stiff links. I was watching a video of chains being made and part was pushing the pins in, I can imagine the machine can go out of alignment after churning out miles on miles of chains.
mercalia
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

Well I put the Clarks 8 speed chain on my bike today - Shimano HG50 cassette old but in good condition, RSX 46/36/26 front chain ring and sti and derailleurs. I only did 3 miles to do my shopping but tried all the gears. No extra noise from changing and changing was as good as before, (possibly better as a new chain). No issues with front changer and sti units. The bulge in the outside plates dont seem to have any bad effect on changing. Obviously cant comment on longevity, and that will be make or break.

The 8 speed chain seems fine, doesnt seem to have any of the flaws mentioned and at the special price of £3.60 seems a bargain for undemanding users like me. If you are an all weather/mud lover/bully boy rider then maybe get some thing better.

Nice to know that it is possible to get what seems to be a cheap but reasonable chain from a shop with many local outlets with out incuring postage costs.

The only negative point is the QR clip - it is curved so must only go on one way and the slots have extra counter sunk ledge or ridge for the pin tips to take and the unwary may not get the pins there so the chain is not properly locked down.

hmm I cant get the QR link off. Maybe dont use the Clarks one, use an sram one in future? Ah use a pair of expanding pliers like these to grip both link ends and force the links apart -
need expanding pliers to get link off as too tight
need expanding pliers to get link off as too tight
The Link is too tight to get off by hand unlike the sram ones

I cant comment on the 7/8 chain. Other to say in the past when I had a Dawes Horizon with 7 speed block and used so called 7/8 speed compatable chains ( from SRAM.SACHs) some where not as compatable as they should be and skipped ( the block was not worn out as other chains were fine)
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Sweep
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Location: London

Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by Sweep »

Thanks for the update mercalia.

Am still deciding how many if any of mine to pick up as have read some bad reports online.

Am also wary as the chain will be going on a bike with a small gear changing issue I still have to sort.

I always thought by the way that 7 and 8 speed chains were effectively the same thing.

Thanks again for your updates.
Sweep
mercalia
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

Sweep wrote:Thanks for the update mercalia.

Am still deciding how many if any of mine to pick up as have read some bad reports online.

Am also wary as the chain will be going on a bike with a small gear changing issue I still have to sort.

I always thought by the way that 7 and 8 speed chains were effectively the same thing.

Thanks again for your updates.


maybe just get 1 to try & do as I did? £3.60 not a lot to spend really need the time to take off current chain and try the new one and then replace with old. Halfords seem to have the 10% offer quite frequently And even at £3.99 full price still cheap if they turn out to be ok. Bad reviews at the end of the day are the bad cases? Very few products dont have bad ones eg the batch of shimano chains I mentioned. And unless you know how the bike has been ridden under what conditions have to take a pinch of salt. eg the side bulge claimed to be a source of trouble speculated above no issue on my chain. Many people are really guessing as to what the cause of the trouble is ( I do that also lol )

I think some people dont like the look of the rust free chains - galvanised zinc the same as those metal dustbins lol

re the compatability issue I thought that also but some of my sram/sachs chains would work ok on the real 8 speed bike but not the 7 speed - pc41 chains by the way. Those chains were tightly toleranced at new - zero wear - may have been the issue. dont know.
mercalia
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

Here is a page about the QR link they use.

http://www.satincesena.net/quick-chain-removal-via-quick-release-link-and-ybns-clp-102-crp-101-thorough-chain-cleaning-is-easier/


Seems like they have updated the QR link & there are special tools to remove it

a quote - " Taking this link design apart is virtually impossible to achieve without this tool."

"This is the updated version of YBN’s QR link. It offers an extra notch that needs considerable pressure in order to lock the link in position on installation. It’s an added safety feature virtually eliminating the chance of a QR link coming apart."

well I was able with the type of pliers I showed above - ones with
thin jaws and can open at the pivot a bit
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Sweep
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by Sweep »

Thanks for that mercalia

But

Agh! :)

It gets worse - 2 special tools - one to close and another to open.

My old fave sram chains are looking better and better.
Sweep
mercalia
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

well I was able to close the link by hand but was not as easy as the sram. And using my pliers came apart easy enough.

I tried ordinary pliers and couldnt get a good grip on the ends of the links as would require the jaws open too much at an angle. The ones I showed also open at the pivot a bit. I think this is the first time I ever had to use these pliers glad I didnt throw away.

I may use an sram QR link. Any reason why I shouldnt any one?


pivot point can be changed ( the hole )
pivot point can be changed ( the hole )
mercalia
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

The Clark's quick link

You can see the small ridge on the right that has to go into the pin groove

This is a 10 speed one the 8 speed similar

ybn quick link
ybn quick link


Cant say I like it as very little metal keeping the pin locked?

Use an sram one instead?
yostumpy
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by yostumpy »

mercalia wrote:
yostumpy wrote:I had some when they were on special somewhere, terrible. Was plagued with stiff links, ended up looking like a snakes and ladders board. So I swapped it for the second one, and within a month, same thing. So I then bought some chains from Spa, on special , Taya I think, fitted them on 2 bikes, and both broke repeatedly. I now run KMC x9 93, super long lasting, and after 6,000km still looks like new, but replaced it anyway.


I think you need to say a) how much the KMC one cost and b) what type of riding you do. I understand that even Shimano had a time when a batch of its chains had stiff links. I was watching a video of chains being made and part was pushing the pins in, I can imagine the machine can go out of alignment after churning out miles on miles of chains.


My riding is mostly audax , club riding, I keep the bike clean, don't tend to ride In the pouring rain. The kmc was online , via ebay , Hopkinsons cycles, about £ 9 each, gone up now tho. Hope you choose wisely.
blackbike
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by blackbike »

I've used Clarks chains on my two bar end shifter 7 or 8 speed everyday tourers.

They are indistinguishable from the Shimano, KMC and other cheap chains I also buy.
Brucey
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Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by Brucey »

mercalia wrote:

Image

Cant say I like it as very little metal keeping the pin locked?



The lateral strength of many quicklinks ought to be similar; they all have relatively small lips to them. What you can't tell is if the steel is good quality or not, which goes for the whole chain in fact. I can't think of a chain type that I have not seen problems with at one time or another.

Arguably the real difference in quicklinks is how easily they come apart; even so, I've never heard of one that was correctly assembled coming apart in use, and if you only ever take the thing apart in the workshop, once, maybe it doesn't matter if it is a little bit tricky.

It seems to me that knowing what you are doing is the main thing; I've seen people struggle with quicklinks that I've opened (or closed) in just a few seconds.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Sweep
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by Sweep »

Agree - i have never had a quick link detach in use, whuch is why i think it a superior system to shimano's. I do like quick links i can undo easily without tools though.

Never had a real problem with sram, have had to struggle a bit with one or two others.

Do you have any opinion on the somewhat fraught topic of the quality of these chains Brucey before i go to pick up/or not my job lot?
Sweep
Steveo2020
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by Steveo2020 »

I just installed one of the 7/8 speed ones that I got for £3.99 from Halfords. It was about £12 in the shop but the assistant said if you reserved online they price matched Chain Reaction. I did the reservation on my phone and it was ready to collect in 5 mins.

It had the 'anti rust' finish which is dull grey. The pin that I pushed out was less shiny than you normally see which I guess might not be a good sign.

Will be interesting to see how long it lasts. Hopefully a while as I bought 4! :?
mercalia
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

Steveo2020 wrote:I just installed one of the 7/8 speed ones that I got for £3.99 from Halfords. It was about £12 in the shop but the assistant said if you reserved online they price matched Chain Reaction. I did the reservation on my phone and it was ready to collect in 5 mins.

It had the 'anti rust' finish which is dull grey. The pin that I pushed out was less shiny than you normally see which I guess might not be a good sign.

Will be interesting to see how long it lasts. Hopefully a while as I bought 4! :?


would be helpful if u would just try it tonight and report back if any issues re gear change and general smoothness running etc for Sweep here
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